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Dec. 2, 1941. 'M'. RABINOWICZ 8 TAP FOR GAS BURNERS Filed 001:. 11 1938 a I B 1 71/ 8 J9 Patented Dec. 2, 1941 g Mechel ltabinowicz, London, England, assig-nor of one-half. to Israel Xyel Kestenbaum, London,

England Application October 11, 1938, Serial No. 234,497 In Great Britain October 16, 1937 5 Claims.

This invention relates to taps for gas burners providedwith pilot jets adapted to relight the main burner in the event of the latter becoming ing provided for enabling the gas supply to the main burner to be reduced or' cut off completely when desired without interfering with the automatic closing means or the gas supply to the pilot burner. It is frequently desirable in the case of boiling rings and other burners whichare liable to be extinguished by theiboiling over of the liquid contents of a pot being heated by the burner, to provide a pilot flame of sufli'cient length to enable the pilot burner to be disposed "out of the path of any liquid which may boil over and in order to avoid waste of gas when the main burner is out of operation, the gas supply to the pilot burner in such cases'is preferably'controlled in such a manner that itis reduced to'a minimum when the gas supply to the main burner is cutoff without actually extinguishing'thepilot flame.

In one embodiment of the invention, the gas supply to the main and pilot burnersis controlled by means of a gas tap provided with a single plug having a conduit'for controlling the gas supply to the main burner and a separate conduit for controlling the gas supply to the pilot-burner, the latter conduit being arranged to register with a circumferential inlet slot in the casing of the gas tap of such a length that when the gas tap is turned into the position in which the gas supply to the-main burner is cut vided with coupling means for'enabling it to be actuated by means of an automatic closin device, for instance a coil spring, the said coupling device having sufiicient play to enable the tap to be turned by hand relatively to the coupling means through an angle corresponding to the angular distance through which the tap has to be turned iromthefull-open to the fully closed position, a locking device which is under the control of a thermostat heated by the pilot flame being provided for preventing the automatic closingdevice from coming into action as long as the pilot flame remains alight. Instead of providing an inlet slot for the pilot burner, the conduit in the casing for-the pilot burner may communicate ateach end with circumferential grooves provided in the internal periphery of the casing.

Fig. 1 an elevation with parts in section of one-'forrn of 'my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form; Fig. 3 is a detail view of parts in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing,-A is the plug of a gas tap provided with a conduit'B for the main burner and a conduit .0 for the pilot burner, thelatter communicating at each end with a groove'llformed intheperiphcry of theplug. The plug can be rotated by means of the handle F'fixed to the spindle E of the plug and also by means of a coil spring G against the force of which the plug is rotated to open the tap, the said spring being fixed at one endand attached at the other to a coupling the dogs orteeth on the coupling disc H and the plug A toenable the latter to turn relatively to the former through a suflicient angle to cut off the gassupply to the main burner and if need be reduce the gas supply to the pilot flame without interfering with the disc H when the latter is held in-the open position by means of a thermostatically' controlled locking member q which engages a notch J provided in the periphery of the disc It will be seen from the figure that in the position shown in which theconduit B is out of register with theinlet I the groove still establishes communication between the inlet 1 for the pilot burner and the conduit C.

According-"to another form of the invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thetap a is provided with twoconcentric plug members, the inner one f of which'is provided with a bore (1 adapted to register with a pair of diametrically opposed bores d in the outer plug member b which in turn are adapted to register with the inlet and outlet-sides e, e" ofthe conduit in the tap casing for themain burner, so that when the bores d, d are in register with the 'saidbonduit gas'will be supplied to the mainburner. One of the plug members, in the example shown inthe inner plug member, is under the control of a helical spring m which is fixed at one end and at the other end is secured to a disc Z rigid with the spindle f provided at the large end of the plug member 1, the said spring tending to turn the member f into the closed position. The inner plug mem her is retained in the open position by means of a thermostatically controlled locking lever.

The gas supply to the pilot burner is effected through a conduit g communicating with the inlet bore of the gas tap and registering with one of a pair of diametrically opposed slots h, a in the wall of the outer plug member and the said conduit being adapted to register with a bore 71 in the inner plug member so as to establish communication between the inlet bore of the gas tap and the conduit k. The slots h, 7' enable gas to pass to the pilot burner in all positions of the handle 0, the arrangement being such, however that when the automatic closing means comes into action the bores d and i in the inner plug member move out of register with the bores and slots in the outer plug member, thereby shutting off the gas supply to the main and pilot burners. By connecting the inner plug member up to the automatic closing means, the advantage is obtained that the frictional losses are reduced to the minimum, so that the operation of the automatic closing means is more reliable than would be the case if the latter were connected up to the outer plug member. Means are provided for enabling the inner plug member to be turned into the open position by hand. Such means may for instance be in the form of a handle I on the disc I or a lost motion coupling device similar to that shown in Fig. 1 provided between the inner and outer plug members.

The inner plug member is provided at its small end with a screw threaded stem 12' which passes through a bore provided in a cylindrical extension f at the small end of the outer plug member, the two plug members being pressed into bearing contact with one another and the outer plug member into bearing contact with the inner wall of the tap casing by means of a nut 71 screwed on the stem 1) and bearing against a washer w. The handle engages the extension F, a washer w being preferably interposed between the handle and the tap casing. The

extension f and the opening in the handle are squared or other suitable driving means may be provided, e. g. a pin driven through the handle and the extension.

The thermostatically controlled locking lever q shown in Figs. 1 to 3 has a tooth q which engages a notch J in the disc H (Fig. 1) or a corresponding notch in the disc Z (Fig. 3), the other arm of the said lever having a forked end s which embraces the arm s forming one end of a coiled bimetallic strip 1', the other end of which is fixed. The strip 1' is acted on by the flame of a pilot burner p which is supplied with gas through a branch pipe 70 which communicates with an outlet conduit is in the tap casing a, the gas supply of which is effected through the conduit 0 in Fig. 1 or the conduit 2' in Fig. 2.

In order to avoid the pilot burner playing on the coil 1- continuously, the burner p is preferably mounted as shown so as to be capable of swinging on a pivot t into the position shown in Fig. 3 when the tooth q' is in engagement with the notch in the disc 1, the spindle q" having a lever thereon provided with a pin u which bears against the burner p and rocks it into the position shown against the action of a spring 10' when the lever q is turned counterclockwise to lock the disc 71 (Fig. 1) or the disc Z (Fig. 2).

In all cases, automatic igniting means connected up to the gas tap may be provided for lighting the burner or the pilot jet.

In order to avoid waste of gas, a separate tap may be provided for turning off the gas supply to the pilot burner when the main burner is not required to be in use for a protracted period, such provision being particularly desirable in the case of gas cookers or other heating devices having a number of burners each having a pilot burner.

In order to protect the pilot burner and the mechanism comprising the automatic closing means for the gas tap, a casing or cover plate may be provided, the said casing or cover plate being optionally arranged so as to cover the mechanism alone or to cover also the gas tap, leaving the handle of the gas tap alone exposed. An insulating plate of asbestos or other suitable heat insulating material is preferably provided either below or above the casing or shrouding. Alternatively the casing or shrouding may be lined or coated with a suitable heat insulating material or may itself be constructed of heat insulating material.

In order to avoid the necessity of having to hold the gas tap in the open position until the thermostat has moved the locking device for the automatic closing means into the operative position, the spindle of the gas tap may be provided with a braking device for retarding its movement into the closed position. It may in some cases be convenient or necessary to locate the automatic closing means and the thermostat at some distance from the gas tap and to operate the latter through the transmission mechanism. In such cases the braking device would be provided to act on a spindle actuated by the coil spring or other actuating means. Such a braking device will generally not be necessary in arrangements where the pilot jet remains alight after the main gas tap has been turned off by hand.

It is to be understood that the details for carrying out the invention may be modified without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gas tap having a casing with inlet and outlet conduits therein for the passage of gas to a main burner and a pilot burner, respectively, a rotary plug with manual actuating means therefor and having conduits therein for cooperation with the inlet and outlet conduits in the casing, a closing spring for turning said rotary plug into the closed position, a pilot burner, a thermostat located in the heating zone of the pilot burner, said pilot burner being displaceable towards and away from the thermostat, a locking lever having one end thereof connected to said thermostat for preventing actuation of the rotary plug by the closing spring and lost motion driving means including a coupling disc loosely rotatable relatively to the rotary plug for operatively connecting the plug to the closing spring, said coupling disc having engaging means for co-operation with the locking lever, and means operatively connected to said lever for moving the pilot burner away from the thermostat on the lever being brought into operative relationship with the engaging means on the coupling disc, so as to prevent the pilot flame from playing continuously on the thermostat.

2. In a gas tap having a casing with inlet and outlet conduits therein for the passage of gas to a main burner and a pilot burner, respectively, a rotary plug with manual actuating means therefor and having conduits therein for co-operation with the inlet and outlet conduits in the casing, a closing spring for turning said rotary plug into the closed position, a pilot burner, a thermostat located in the heating zone of the pilot burner, said pilot burner being movable towards and away from the thermostat, locking means comprising a spindle having a lever fixed thereon and one end operatively connected to one end of said thermostat for preventing actuation of the rotary plug by the closing spring and lost motion driving means including a coupling disc loosely rotatable relatively to the rotary plug for operatively connecting the plug to the closing spring and having engaging means for cooperation with the locking means controlled by the thermostat, means for moving the pilot burner away from the thermostat on the lever being brought into operative relationship with the engaging means on the coupling disc, so as to prevent the pilot flame from playing continuously on the bimetallic strip, said means comprising a second lever on said spindle with a pin thereon arranged to bear against the pilot burner for moving the pilot burner away from the thermostat and a spring connected to the pilot burner for moving the pilot burner towards the thermostat.

3. A gas tap having a conduit for admitting gas to a main burner, an independent conduit for admitting gas to a pilot burner, rotary closure means for said conduits rotatable into a full open position for admitting gas through both conduits and in the reverse direction into an intermediate position for shutting oil the gas supply to the main burner and beyond said intermediate position into a fully closed position for shutting off the gas supply to both burners, and manual actuating means connected to said rotary closure means, in combination with a closing spring for turning the rotary closure means into the fully closed position, a thermostat lomeans controlled by said thermostat for locking the closing spring in the full open position of the rotary closure means and lost motion driving means for operatively connecting the closing spring to the rotary closure means, so as to enable the closing spring to urge the rotary closure means into the fully closed position, while leaving the rotary closure means free to be turned by the manual actuating means from the full open position into said intermediate position for adjusting the gas supply to the main burner.

4. A gas tap comprising a casing having inlet and outlet conduits therein for the passage of gas to a main burner and a pilot burner, respectively, a rotary plug having a conduit therein for co-operation with the inlet and outlet conduits for the main burner and an independent conduit for co-operation with the inlet and outlet conduits for the pilot burner, said plug being rotatable from a fully closed position into a full open position for admitting gas through all said conduits and in the reverse direction into an intermediate position for shutting ofi the gas supply to the main burner, said independent conduit for the pilot burner extending circumferentially around the plug for a sufiicient distance to establish communication between the inlet and outlet conduits in the casing for the pilot burner when the plug is located in said intermediate position and manual actuating means for said rotary plug, in combination with a closing spring for turning said rotary plug into the fully closed position, a thermostat located in the heating zone of the pilot burner, means controlled by said thermostat for locking said closing spring in the full open position of the rotary plug and lost motion driving means for operatively connecting the plug to the closing spring so as to enable the closing spring to urge the plug into the fully closed position while leaving the plug free to be turned by the manual actuating means from said full open position into said intermediate position for adjusting the gas supply to the main burner.

5. A gas tap as set forth in claim 4, in which the length of the circumferential grooves in the plug is such that the gas supply to the pilot burner is reduced to a minimum when the plug is located in the intermediate position.

MECHEL RABINOWICZ. 

